Truck body



TRUCK BODY Original Filed March 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q 1 INVENTOR y 10, 1932- J. STYSLINGER 1,857,796

TRUCK BODY Original Filed March 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Ma 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mo .1. STYSLINGEB, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, Assmnon To AUTO TRUCK EQUIPMENT COMTPANY, or PITTSBURGH, rnnnsynvam, a CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA TRUCK BODY Application filed March 31, 1928, Serial No. 266,827. Renewed September 28, 1931.

The present invention relates 'broadly to the art of vehicle construction and more particularly to an improved body for use in the building of trucks, wagons and the like.

At the present time it is essential in the art to which the present invention relates to pro-:

vide bodies for the purposes herein contemplated, which bodies have a minimum weight coupled with a maximum strength, and which are sufiiciently attractive to enable efl'ective sale thereof on a keenly competitive The present invention affords a body possessing these attributes and possessing basis.

greater inherent strength due to improved features of construction made the subject matter of the present application.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration only, a

preferred embodiment of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the body illustrated in Figure 1 and artl Figure 3 is a l ongitudinal sectional view,

y broken away, through the body of igures 1 and 2.

In accordance with the present invention,

there may be provided a body comprising longitudinally extending supporting means 2, having mounted thereon a plurality of transversely extending cross beams 3. These cross beams may be reinforced by strips 4 of durable wood adapted to cooperate with and serve as a convenient fastening means 5 for the bottom 5. Each side of t he body is formed from a single piece of metal 6, having its lower edge bent outwardly to extend over the ends of the cross beams 3 and provide arunningboard 7. These edges are then turned downwardly, as indicated at 8, to form a closure for the ends of the cross beams and to improve the appearance of the truck body, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 1.

The extreme lower edges 9 are then turned inwardly to underlie the ends of the beams, and rigidly secure the sides to the cross beams and more effectively prevent accidental relative movement therebetween.

The bending of the portions 7 outwardly with respect to the portions 6, constitutes a valuable'advance in the art of body building and provides a body of light weight having a materially greater strength than has heretofore been obtained with bodies of known construction.

It has heretofore always been customary in so far as I am aware, to bend the lower edges of the sides inwardly. In such a construction, the load within the body tends to force the sides outwardly and thereby bring the portion 6 into the plane of the portions corresponding to the portions 7. With bodies of known construction, the resistance aflorded to such a movement has been comparatively slight due to the fact that steel may be more easily restored to its original position than it may be bent into an entirely new position. This constant springing of the sides outward 1y upon loading the body, and inwardly upon discharging the contents, results in suiiicient fatigue of the metal to either cause rupture thereof or objectionable weakness.

By the present invention these objections are entirely overcome due to the fact that the portions 7 are bent in exactly the oppos te direction, whereupon the tendency of the sides to spring outwardly under a load is more efiectively resisted, since such springing would result in the further distortion of dposition which it has A finishing strip 11, corresponding generally to the downturned portion 8, may be provided for the rear end of the body, this strip, however, preferably having an inturned edge 11, adapted to overlie a portion of the bottom 5 and assist in securing the same in position. The finishing strip is welded to the portions 8, adjacent the corners 12'. At the front of the truck there is provided a cab back 13, of the desired shape, Welded into position against the frame. Pivotally supported from the finishing strip 11 is a tail gate 14, of suitable construction.

The present body provides a light steel construction of extremely pleasing appearance and capable of being easily assembled. The sides, after being shaped as required, may be readily slipped into position on the ends of the cross beams, and then secured thereon as may be required. Thereafter, the finishing strip 11 and the cab back 13 may be likewise secured in position. The body possesses another advantage in that the frame work, including the longitudinal beams 2, the transverse beams 3, the sides 6, the strip 11, and the back 13, are supported rigidly so as to provide self-sustaining unit entirely independently of the bottom 5. The bottom may thus be renewed or replaced at will without effecting the rigidity of the supporting frame.

I claim 1. A truck body having spaced lon itudinally extending sills, a plurality 0 cross beams having upper and lower flanges mounted on the sills, at least one of the beams having a flange extending towards a flange of another cross beam, a nailing strip below the upper flange of each cross beam extending beyond the said flange, and longitudinally extending floor boards secured to the nailing strips, the upper flanges of some of the beams being clamped between the floor boards and the nailing strips, the nailing strips and the floor boards being thus locked against movement by the securing of the floor boards to the nailing strips.

2. A truck body having spaced longitudinally extending sills, spaced channel shaped cross beams mounted on the sills with their flanges in horizontal planes, one of said cross beams being at the rear of the truck and forming the end of the floor of the truck, the flanges of the rear cross beam extending toward the front of the truck while the flanges of another cross beam extend toward the rear of the truck, a strip of wood between the flanges of each cross beam extending beyond the flanges, and longitudinally extending floor boards on the tops of the flanges in some of the cross beams and under the flange of the rear cross beam, said boards being secured to the strips to clamp the interposed flanges of the cross beams between the strips and the floor boards, thereby locking the floor boards and strips against movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEO J. STYSLINGER. 

